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2007 discharge: European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders Frontex

2008/2272(DEC)

PURPOSE: presentation of the final accounts of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders — Frontex for the 2007 financial year.

CONTENT: this document sets out a detailed account of the implementation of Frontex’s budget for 2007. It indicates that the Agency’s final budget amounted to Frontex’s 2007 budget amounted to EUR 42.2 million, compared to EUR 19.2 million for the previous year. This represents a Community contribution of 97.2 %, a 1.9% contribution from the United Kingdom and Ireland and 2.1% contribution from the Schengen Area.

In terms of personnel, the Agency, whose headquarters are in Warsaw (Poland) officially had 49 posts provided for in the establishment plan, of which there are 48 temporary agents and 84 further posts (seconded national experts, contract agents and auxiliaries) amounting to 132 effective posts assigned to operational, administrative and mixed tasks.

In 2007, the Agency focused on the following activities:

Risk analysis

  • 2 General/Annual Assessments were produced;
  • 21 Tailored Assessments were finalised or are due to be finalised by end Q1 2008;
  • 40 Analytical ex-ante assessments of Frontex Joint Operations were issued;
  • 2 Law Enforcement and 3 public bulletins were produced.

The system for regular exchange of information (Incident Reporting System-IRS, Monthly Analytical Reports and Monthly Statistical reports) within Frontex Risk Analysis Network was launched.

Operational cooperation: 25 Frontex coordinated joint operations were held and 7 pilot projects were launched.

Assistance to the Member States: Frontex assisted Member States in 10 of their return operations on their request and coordinated and co-financed 9 return operations of Member States.

Assistance return operations: Frontex coordinated and co-financed 9 return operations of Member States.

Training: within the framework of 13 projects 39 meetings were held or co-financed. During 38 training sessions of different durations, 600 border guards of different level were trained.

Research and development

  • 8 reports and bulletins were published;
  • 5 workshops on R&D issues were held;
  • 9 projects were initiated; some of them are still ongoing;
  • 18 meeting, conferences, or seminars were attended.

Cooperation with non-EU partner countries: the Management Board mandated Frontex to negotiate working arrangements with 5 countries (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Cape Verde, Egypt, Moldavia, Georgia); working arrangement with Ukraine was signed; involvement of Russia and Ukraine in 2 IBM seminars; Ukraine was involved in 5 Frontex pilot projects.

Cooperation with Europol’s and other relevant organisations: Frontex contributed to Europol’s ‘Organised Crime Threat Assessment’ (‘OCTA’). The established working level cooperation with numerous organisations (e.g. IOM, UNHCR, OLAF, Eurojust) was further maintained and utilized.

The Agency’s full accounts are available at the following address : http://www.frontex.europa.eu/finance/